Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit Poiré de Poiriers Anciens sur Granit

Eric Bordelet's Poiré Granit is not a champagne in the classic sense, but a naturally cloudy pear must from Normandy — artisanally produced like a sparkling wine, but something completely unique in character and origin. Bordelet, a former sommelier at the Parisian star restaurant Arpège, returned to the family farm in Mayenne in the early 1990s and has been biodynamically cultivating old pear trees on granite soils ever since.

The granite leaves a noticeable mark on the must: the minerality is not a marketing term, but something you can taste — a dry, slightly salty undertone runs through the entire wine. On the nose, ripe Williams pear, quince and a hint of white blossoms appear. On the palate, fine, lively perlage, fresh acidity, hardly any residual sugar. The finish is long, cool, slightly stony.

Best served well chilled at 6–8 °C — as an aperitif, with goat cheese from the Loire, with oysters or with light appetizers with pear and walnut. Anyone who appreciates natural wine and is looking for sparkling wine beyond grapes will find one of France's most convincing addresses here.